The Traitor Betrays Himself: review of Cognitive Infiltration by David Ray Griffin

Shortly after taking office on January 20, 2009 President Obama appointed Harvard law professor (and personal friend) Cass Sunstein to the post of administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. In June 2009 Sunstein published an essay in The Journal of Political Philosophy entitled "Conspiracy Theories: Causes and Cures," in which he provided an "analysis" of conspiracy theories, viewing them, as his title indicated, as "caused" by psychological conditions and requiring "cures", i.e., elimination. The article led to an outcry by civil libertarians of all political stripes, who especially singled out for protest Sunstein's call for covert "cognitive infiltration" by government agents of organizations the government deems "conspiracist".

Because Sunstein explicitly states that "9/11 conspiracy theories" are his main focus, virtually all interpreters have agreed that Sunstein's call for what is essentially another Cointelpro Operation is directed specifically against the 9/11 truth movement. (Cointelpro, or "Counter Intelligence Program", was the FBI's name for its high-priority operations to infiltrate, provoke, undermine and disable civil rights, socialist, antiwar, black power and Native American movements during the late 1950s and the 1960s.) The fantastic picture Sunstein paints of the 9/11 truth movement as "harmful," "dangerous," and likely to resort to "terrorism" suggests that he is serving a function similar to Philip Zelikow's during the Bush/Cheney years; in his own way, Sunstein too is a "myth-maker."

In his new book COGNITIVE INFILTRATION David Ray Griffin has provided the first truly adequate response to Sunstein's deeply-flawed and legally-questionable arguments. Griffin penetrates the obfuscation and phony scholarship employed by Sunstein to create the illusion of a rational critique of the 9/11 truth movement's alternative account of the events of September 11, 2001. Griffin presents a series of ten theses put forward by Sunstein, and shows that each is fundamentally flawed. Further, he demonstrates that Sunstein is unable to avoid numerous self-contradictions, either explicit or implied, that together amount to an internal, hidden counter-argument to his own position, which Griffin, in a novel and entertaining approach, brings out as an ironic "esoteric" meaning of Sunstein's essay.

Griffin demonstrates that Sunstein is completely unable to refute the major positions of the 9/11 truth movement, and doesn't actually even try to do so. Instead, Sunstein has produced a pseudo-scholarly fake "analysis" as a basis for a call for the government to infiltrate and neutralize the movement through activities which create "cognitive dissonance," clearly not the least bit different from the FBI's Cointelpro operations. But in so doing Sunstein has provided Griffin the means to demonstrate yet again that defenders of the official account of 9/11 actually cannot proceed by using reason and fact. They are forced to resort to disinformation, suppression of evidence, lies, illogic, threats and intimidation, always with the same result: failure. The more people study the events of 9/11 the more certain they become that the government and its media outlets are lying.

Sunstein's essay appears to reveal that the government response to its ongoing failure will be to resort to illegal activities directed against people who are speaking out about the highest crimes carried out in the corridors of power. The remarkably inept manner in which he makes his case suggests, however, that providing a rationale for such a future policy may not have been his real intention. Rather, it seems plausible that his purpose is to suggest that such actions have not even been considered before, let alone implemented, when in fact such operations have been ongoing since 9/11.

Griffin's COGNITIVE INFILTRATION is a lucid and compelling exposure of the contempt held by the official defenders the 9/11 myth for dissenters who have seen through their Big Lie. These officials expect that no one will be able to penetrate the murk of Sunstein's latest defense of the pretext for the US wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq, now covertly expanding into many other countries. But with David Ray Griffin's book, everyone who is concerned with bringing their carnage and criminality to a stop, as well as to reverse the rapid erosion of civil liberties in this country, will have no difficulty remaining clear-headed in the face of the "cognitive infiltration" carried out by the holders of high office and their agents.

http://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Infiltration-Appointees-Undermine-Conspiracy/dp/1566568218

DRG's contribution

I can't wait to read DRG's latest. The book is very timely and we should make sure it gets lots of exposure. "Cognitive infiltration" is a sign of our growing strength as a movement.

And while I'm at it I want to wish David all my best. For those who don't know, he's been hospitalized and very ill lately and he may be some time recovering. Let's all appreciate his great contributions and let's hope that he's feeling better soon.

Graeme

Best to Prof. Griffin

Thanks for letting us know. I was wondering why the normally steady stream of audio interviews had gone silent.

Hoping he gets well and feels better very soon.

We wish the best for DRG.............a true hero

I put him on a level with Daniel Ellsberg as a truly great patriot.
Get well soon, David.
Wish I could see you at ground zero this sept. 11.
Maybe next year.

David Hope You Have A Speedy Recovery

Thanks for the update on DRG. I wish him well in his recovery and I look forward to reading his new book.
Take Care David
Matt from Milwaukee

Great review Tod

I'd love to see a chapter uploaded to the web in PDF format, or perhaps some selected excerpts.

The term "cognitive infiltration" could only have come from someone with a truly reptilian mind. Reminds me of Louis "Jolly" West and the MKULTRA shrinks. Or Dr. Jose Delgado's comment (from Yale, no less) that "man does not have the right to develop his own mind". Delgado made this remark after implanting electrodes in various animals' brains and zapping them with a gadget he called a "stimoceiver"; he described the poor beasts as "mechanical toys". Later, similar experiments were carried out on humans.

It's not enough to control your body, they want your soul too. Well, tough luck, they ain't gettin' it.

P.S. Graeme, give me a shout if you have a sec at the contact link at "Metanoia-films.org". You appear in a film I just put together, with has achieved 80,000 views in less than a week. Would like to correspond.

great vids yo

your address on file bounces
http://911blogger.com/contact

Get well soon Dr. Griffin.

Looking forward to this latest offering.

I am glad to see he has chosen to take on Sunstein.

Cointelpro has never stopped, in my opinion.

Found this on his Wiki:

Sunstein and Vermeule also analyze the practice of secret government payments to outside commentators, who are then held out as independent experts; they suggest that "government can supply these independent experts with information and perhaps prod them into action from behind the scenes," further warning that "too close a connection will be self-defeating if it is exposed."[22] Sunstein and Vermeule argue that the practice of enlisting non-government officials, "might ensure that credible independent experts offer the rebuttal, rather than government officials themselves. There is a tradeoff between credibility and control, however. The price of credibility is that government cannot be seen to control the independent experts." This position has been criticized by some commentators,[23][24] who argue that it would violate prohibitions on government propaganda aimed at domestic citizens.[25] (end of Wiki citation)

He is for paying "experts" to represent the government positions on various media. Like the ones who helped decide that OBL was the culprit on 9/11. Like the ones who helped promote the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Like the ones who are pushing for the invasion of Iran.

I think this speaks to his, Sunstein's, level of ethics.

Message Force Multipliers

Despite two tell-all exposés in the New York Times in April 2008 which revealed that the talking heads sitting next to network news anchors and presented as "independent military analysts" were part of a grand propaganda spreading scheme. Obviously, the revelation was swept under the carpet as fast as it appeared.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/us/20generals.html

Sunstein also backed Bush's military commissions..

Also from his Wiki:

In 2002, at the height of controversy over Bush's creation of military commissions without Congressional approval, Sunstein stepped forward to insist that "[u]nder existing law, President George W. Bush has the legal authority to use military commissions" and that "President Bush's choice stands on firm legal ground." Sunstein scorned as "ludicrous" the argument from Law Professor George Fletcher that the Supreme Court would find Bush's military commissions without any legal basis. Four years later—in its Hamdan ruling—the Supreme Court, with Justice Stevens in the majority, held that Bush lacked the legal authority to create military commissions without approval from Congress, i.e., the Court (and Stevens) found Bush lacked exactly the "legal authority" which Sunstein vehemently insisted Bush possessed.[13] (end of Wiki citation)

We all know what a joke the military tribunals are. He wanted to keep the lid on 911 even back during Bush.

Great on you David Ray! We

Great on you David Ray!

We have to kick our opposition in the teeth every single time crap like this rises out of the official toilet bowl.
We don't have the time to waste on playing this "nice" anymore. Again, I call for a string of lawsuits and legal actions. Time to play hardball people.

God Bless You, Professor Griffin

Get well soon!!!

Get Well, Dr. Griffin

Please extend in whatever way possible my most sincere wishes for the recovery and good health of Dr. Griffin. I have corresponded with him, own several of his books, thanked his publisher in Northampton in person, and listened to him speak in Keene, NH.

He was asked, at an earlier presentation, whether he ever feared for his life (perhaps a silly question for a Christian theologian) and he said 'No, it would only make my book sales soar'. May he retain such wit and the twinkle in his eye.

That remark, however, serves as a guide for what we ought to do, which is to insure that we each have copies of as many of his books as we can afford {I couldn't persist through his "Parapsychology, Philosophy and Spirituality", but I will one day soon) and make sure we can preserve and project for all time the critical findings and logic in them.

Thanks Tod for a well-written review...

...I'm buying the book.

We will know them by their deeds

We know the infiltrator/disruptors Sunstein spoke of are among us.

So who is quacking like a duck?

* * * * *

David,

Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery.

Chris

Amen to that and prayers with

Amen to that and prayers with you David.

Get Well Soon, DRG!

Prayers of support for David Ray Griffin from NYC. The new book sounds terrific. As the 9th anniversary of 9/11 nears we need more than ever the clear insight and steady leadership Dr. Griffin has long provided our movement for truth. Godspeed in your recovery, dear sir!

DRG get well soon!

When DRG speaks and writes everybody should listen and
read....this is paul from WPB FL. and i have handed out over 9,000 9-11 truth DVDs and continue to do so to this day.
peace,pw